Eastern Island

Our artisans could not help but to tackle this challenge: the symbolism and native art form Easter Island is overwhelmingly beautiful.

Easter Island or Rapa Nui has long been the subject of curiosity and speculation. How and why did its inhabitants carve and transport the massive statues which surround the island? What remains of this culture today, and what lessons can we learn from their legacy?

Easter Island is over 2,000 miles from the nearest population center, (Tahiti and Chile), making it one of the most isolated places on Earth. A triangle of volcanic rock in the South Pacific - it is best known for the giant stone monoliths, known as Moai, that dot the coastline. The early settlers called the island "Te Pito O Te Henua" (Navel of The World). Admiral Roggeveen, who came upon the island on Easter Day in 1722, named it Easter Island. Today, the land, people and language are all referred to locally as Rapa Nui.

All of Easter Island cultural life revolved around the Manutara Bird Cult. The main yearly ceremony involved the election of the Tangata Manu Chief, or Bird Man. To obtain this title, the candidates needed to take the first egg that the Manutara, a migratory bird, lay on Easter Island. This ceremony had place in Orongo. The ancient ceremonial village of ORONGO is located at the top of the extinct volcano, RANO KAU.